What's The Best Gun Lube For A CCW Gun?

Finding The Best Gun Lube and Cleaner

Does it matter what gun lube one uses? It definitely does - lubricant and cleaner are what help a firearm stay in good working order, vastly important for a CCW gun or other working firearm.

A person should be regularly cleaning their gun and lubricating it, especially if they carry on a daily basis.

Your Mileage May Vary With Gun Lubricant

The best gun lubricant is, in all honesty, a matter of opinion. One person will tell you Frog Lube, another will say Lucas Oil, someone else will tell you Rem Oil. Another person still will tell you that the Hoppe's that comes with the cleaning kit is just fine.

Some people swear by WD40. Not that there's anything wrong with that and hey - between WD40, duct tape and bailing wire, there's few things that can't be fixed. Just don't let any get on your bullets.

While machines are machines, they all have their own peculiarities in how they function. The person that operates it most gets a sense of gets the most out of it. Ever talk to car guys about what oil they prefer to use? It's kind of the same thing. Some will tell you they only run Castrol, some only run Pennzoil, some will say Havoline, some will say Lucas Oil (they also make gun lube), and others still insist on Mobil 1 synthetic. (Good enough for Formula One, good enough for your car too.)

Then there's the guy who says "who cares as long as it's 10W-30?"

Gun owners are the same. Your mileage will, in all likelihood, vary - so try a few out and find what works for you. However, what will not vary is what you should look for.

Firstly and foremostly, gun lubricant should work. Once lubricated, your pistol should cycle smoothly and do so for as long as possible after the application. A lubricant that works great for a day or two is not as good as one that works for a week.

Finding The Right Gun Cleaner

Just like finding the right lube or IWB holster, finding the right gun cleaner is a similar exercise in finding what works best for your gun and to your satisfaction.

However, there are a number of popular brands out there, and spray cleaners are also very popular for ease of use.

Hoppe's #9, of course, is a very widespread and popular brand. You can find it almost anywhere. It will definitely work, and a lot of people stick with it for this reason. However, some find that other brands work more to their satisfaction.

Other popular brands include Ballistol, BoreTech, Shooter's Choice, and many, many more.

Many of the big names in firearms also make their own solvents and lubricants, some of which have a large number of fans. Remington's Rem Oil products, for instance, are certainly decent; one of the interesting Rem Oil products are wipes, not unlike the kind made for babies. (Or the ones from Lysol.) The wipes are soaked in gun cleaning solvent and can be easily used instead of soaked patches for cleaning. A few other companies make them too.

Other brand names are out there like Winchester, Wilson Combat (the 1911 gurus), Hornady, Barnes, and so on and so forth ad infinitum.

Find Your Best Gun Lube By Experimenting

Since the "best gun lube" is partially based on what the user finds works best with their firearms, it behooves the consumer to experiment with a few different brands and finds what works best. It's just like asking what the best gun belt the best; part of it is the base materials but often it's what makes it the best to the user.

There are also some specialized products. Frog Lube, for instance, is biodegradable and made from natural products. Some people care about such things (conservation-minded hunters, for instance) though others may not. A lot of people only care if something works and it's cheap.

There are a few products that are offered in nearly every gun store you find nationwide and will certainly work. It may be the case that such products will work to one's satisfaction or not. Have a go and see.

About The Author

Born in southeastern Washington State, Sam Hoober graduated in 2011 from Eastern Washington University. He resides in the great Inland Northwest, with his wife and child. His varied interests and hobbies include camping, fishing, hunting, and spending time at the gun range as often as possible.

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Marc

posted on Jul 27, 2016 1:11:20 PM

WD-40 is a water displacement chemical and should never be used on firearms.